2023-04-29 05:15:00
These are two opposite strategies. Germany comes from disconnect its last three reactors and intends to bet everything on renewables to ensure its energy transition. Finland is increasing its capacities, with the commissioning of the most powerful nuclear reactor in Europe. This should produce, on its own, 15% of the electricity consumed in the country.
According to Juha Poikola, head of public relations for TVO, which operates the plant, “this is an important figure that will allow us to import no more electricity or very little.” He recently estimated in the 7:30 p.m that “this nuclear power plant alone would supply 3.6 million electric cars for one year”.
Finland is not alone in betting on the atom. Belgium, which was due to phase out nuclear power in 2025, has just reached an agreement to extend two of its reactors, with the aim of regaining control of the country’s energy destiny, in the words of its Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo. France, which produces more than half of its electricity from nuclear power, wants to give new impetus to the sector and build six new generation reactors.
More than 10 years after the accident at the Fukushima power plant, nuclear energy is once again at the center of debates, as States seek to decarbonise their economies and as the war in Ukraine has highlighted the energy dependence of certain countries and the vulnerability of the global energy market.
New dependencies?
Nuclear energy provides 10% of global electricity production, with 422 reactors in 32 countries. The United States has the most reactors on its territory (92), followed by France (56) and China (56), ahead of Russia (37).
It is Beijing that is increasing its capacity the most with 19 reactors under construction on its territory. But the clan of countries producing nuclear energy is growing. Among them, Turkey, which has just inaugurated its first reactor, or Egypt, which launched the construction of its first power plant last year. In these two countries, the Russian nuclear giant, Rosatom, was chosen. Russia is the country that builds the most reactors abroad.
Countries with the most nuclear reactors. [Géopolitis – RTS]
Russia also has a significant weight in the strategic civilian nuclear industry: 5% of uranium mining production comes from Russia. It is the sixth producing country, behind Kazakhstan (45%), Namibia (12%), Canada (10%), Australia (9%) and Uzbekistan (7%).
But it is above all the country which has the largest uranium enrichment capacities (46%). “If we have decided to no longer buy Russian gas – and to buy shale gas from the Americans, which is really far from good – we must do the same for uranium”, estimates Stéphane Genoud, professor of energy management at the HES-SO Valais, in Geopolitis. “In terms of geostrategy, it’s not a good idea to put yourself in a position where, for long periods of time, you have to be friends with the Russians or with the Chinese, for example.”
Kazakhstan produces nearly half of the world’s uranium. [Géopolitis – RTS]
For the researcher, this is one more argument in favor of renewable energies. “My photovoltaic solar panels produce anyway, emphasizes Stéphane Genoud. I don’t need to negotiate with the sun.” But in the face of the climate emergency, he says nuclear is a more attractive option for many politicians. “There are two strategies: either we reduce our consumption, or we produce defossilized. Reducing consumption takes time and above all you have to want to do it. And it’s hard to imagine a shrinking world. So , we are trying to find another solution, that is to say nuclear power”, he underlines.
A choice for the future
From the operation of a power plant to its dismantling, nuclear generates tens of thousands of tons of contaminated materials. Some of this waste is highly radioactive. Landfilling is the solution chosen or tested by several States, such as Finland and France.
“It’s still problematic to profit for two or three generations and leave the management of dismantling, the cost of storage to dozens of generations behind us. Honestly, I want to look your children in the eye and say: “I did not impose that on you!” We have already imposed so many things on these little ones who are born today that perhaps we can find other solutions”, pleads Stéphane Genoud.
According to the International Energy Agency, 28% of global electricity production came from renewables in 2021, compared to 10% from nuclear, 23% from natural gas and 36% from coal.
Elsa Anghinolfi
1682753018
#decided #longer #buy #Russian #gas #uranium #rts.ch